Switcher Saturday: 2018-Feb-10

A good bit of the old Montour Railroad still exist as a bike trail.  Recently a new bridge across the intersection of Rt 50 and Rt 980, A very dangerous bike crossing.  Bridge was removed by the state, low clearance, when the Montour went bankrupt, early 1980's  Marcellous Shale gas wealth, related to the new Westland collection site and railroad spur, has seen a lot of improvements on the Montour Trail, this bridge, one of the larger projects.

Low number Montour SW's, 70, 71, etc.  were SW7's  Noted difference was arched cab windows and different louvers on the hood.  A lot of pictures for Montour diesels show push poles and chains hanging on frame.

MA & PA #81 in the backround my family's farm and my early introduction to trains.

MA &  PA #81 at the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum 

Local shortline Grafton & Upton continues to grow/expand its operations and has acquired some “new” locomotives from CSX.  Three MP15AC switchers were delivered by CSX to the G&U North Grafton, MA yard last weekend.  

Two of the three units, #1191 & #1160, were left on the spur next to the cross-dock located at the very north end of the yard close to the road & CSX interchange track.  The third unit (unknown #) was dropped further down in the yard and was not accessible to photograph.

#1160 was built in 1977 as SCL #4010, and #1191 was built in 1978 as SCL #4221.

I apologize for the poor lighting conditions in some of the photos as these units caught me by surprise this past Monday afternoon.  The darn sun was on the wrong side!! 

The G&U crew wasted no time in readying the units for service.  Here we see them removing the covers from the exhaust stacks...

And then they masked off the CSX lettering and applied light gray primer to #1191...

The sun was on the right side for this photo, but the loading dock was in the way! 

I returned on Tuesday to find very crude “GU” stenciling had been applied to the nose & sides of #1191 (guess the G&U is very anxious to make them “their own”!)...and some work being done “under the hood”.  

And here they are on Thursday in slightly better light..

I’m looking forward to capturing more photos of these 3 switchers after they enter revenue service on the G&U!

Happy SWSat to Everyone!

Almost 3 years Rich is quite an accomplishment. Many of the threads are self feeding but you get up and start a new one each week. Well done sir!

Tom- I like the effect on your switcher- maybe add a Campbells label and you would nail it!

Mike- cool bit of history on the Ma and Pa.

Arnold- sharp NW 2

Bill T- nice AEC industrial switcher

Joe A- Nice shots of some switchers starting a new life. I hope they are going to give them a proper paint job in the Spring!

This week on the RSJ&B PRR # 99 is bringing in diesel and sand for the engine yard.

Nice work all!

Yay! SWSat is in the “On” position. 

Off to a great start today. Here are a few Electric motor switchers from Washington and Old Dominion. The #50 still is live and kicking cars on the Iowa Traction.

#26 was a nice looking shop build

Here is a 2rail o scale Pennsylvania Motor  

Last up this week posting from a kids swim team meet is an EL EMD.

Have a great weekend SWSateers!

RSJB18 posted:

Happy SWSat to Everyone!

Almost 3 years Rich is quite an accomplishment. Many of the threads are self feeding but you get up and start a new one each week. Well done sir!

Tom- I like the effect on your switcher- maybe add a Campbells label and you would nail it!

Mike- cool bit of history on the Ma and Pa.

Arnold- sharp NW 2

Bill T- nice AEC industrial switcher

Joe A- Nice shots of some switchers starting a new life. I hope they are going to give them a proper paint job in the Spring!

This week on the RSJ&B PRR # 99 is bringing in diesel and sand for the engine yard.

Very nice.

Thanks Arnold!

Spotted on the ride into Jamaica Station. Don’t know nothing about any of them engines, but they have character.

nycoolbreez posted:

Spotted on the ride into Jamaica Station. Don’t know nothing about any of them engines, but they have character.

The MP-15's are spotted at each end of Jamaica Station in case of a breakdown in the area. They are rescue trains to clear the tracks of any stranded trains as quickly as possible.

Not sure about the S2 (?)

My version of the same photo about 15 miles east.

Saw this one recently

The O&UP had a water leak and is out of service this week.  Here are some pictures of the switchers at the grain elevators in South Charleston, Ohio.

Happy Switcher Saturday to all. This week Shark Bay R.R. was a really busy. D&H Alco RS11 #5002 switching at Cape Shark like a MEC Alco S2 #301 also.

WP SW9 #606 working at Port of Shark Bay area.

Richmond California in Sept 1949

Santa Fe 0-6-0 #592

San Bernardino ,California 19040s

Santa Fe #614

B&O 0-4-0 #317 at Wilmington.DE in 1948

Built by Baldwin in 1903 Class C13

meanwhile back at the ranch......

1656 and 2035 get acquainted while they await their turn on the project track...

A little Southern switching! 

Boston & Maine #613 was a USRA 0-8-0 steam locomotive built by Alco at Schenectady, NY in September 1922 and scrapped in June 1952. Engine weight was 221,000 pounds, tender weight was 157,700 pounds, for a combined 378,700 pounds. 1375 0-8-0 steam locomotives were built to the USRA design by Alco, Baldwin and Lima. Photos show my MTH Railking model with PS-2 on my 12'-by-8' layout completed in 2004.

MELGAR

MELGAR posted:

Boston & Maine #613 was a USRA 0-8-0 steam locomotive built by Alco at Schenectady, NY in September 1922 and scrapped in June 1952. Engine weight was 221,000 pounds, tender weight was 157,700 pounds, for a combined 378,700 pounds. 1375 0-8-0 steam locomotives were built to the USRA design by Alco, Baldwin and Lima. Photos show my MTH Railking model with PS-2 on my 12'-by-8' layout completed in 2004.

MELGAR

Beautiful steam switcher, Melgar. I bet she’s a good puller too.

Thanks Arnold!

However, as a minimalist with small layouts, I only run short freights (say 4 boxcars and a caboose) at low speeds and short passenger trains (up to 3 cars). So, I can't say that I have ever approached the pulling capacity of an MTH 8-wheel switcher. But, I own several and agree that they are beautiful to look at and run.

MELGAR

carsntrains posted:

A little Southern switching! 

When I recently bought the Lionel D&H RS-11 shown above, the vendor had the exact same diesel in Southern livery. I was torn because I liked them both a lot. Being from NY I tend to gravitate towards the Northeastern fallen flag railroads.

briansilvermustang posted:

 

The bright red ones are stunning.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday to all. This week Shark Bay R.R. was a really busy. D&H Alco RS11 #5002 switching at Cape Shark like a MEC Alco S2 #301 also.

WP SW9 #606 working at Port of Shark Bay area.

 

So hard to tell if these trains, structures, and people are real or models. Remarkable. 

Only give away is the 3rd rail down the middle. 

Which one do you like better, mine below or Brian’s above?

I like Brian’s a little better. LOL

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

carsntrains posted:

A little Southern switching! 

When I recently bought the Lionel D&H RS-11 shown above, the vendor had the exact same diesel in Southern livery. I was torn because I liked them both a lot. Being from NY I tend to gravitate towards the Northeastern fallen flag railroads.

Arnold didn't the Southern Railroad service as far north as New York, Detroit, and Chicago?  

Jim 

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday to all. This week Shark Bay R.R. was a really busy. D&H Alco RS11 #5002 switching at Cape Shark like a MEC Alco S2 #301 also.

WP SW9 #606 working at Port of Shark Bay area.

 

So hard to tell if these trains, structures, and people are real or models. Remarkable. 

Only give away is the 3rd rail down the middle. 

 

 

Arnold: Thanks. If i build the new layout some day, i am gonna use still a 3rd rail track but this time MTH Scale Track.

Johan

CNJ#1601, it's nice to find another G&U fan on the Forum!  I grew up with the G&U.  I could see G&U trains across the field from my parent's house on Snow Rd.  If I got lucky, I'd see a train on my way home from school in No Grafton Center.  I still drive by the yard occasionally to see what's going on.

Do you model the G&U?  If yes, I'd be interested in seeing what you have done.  Do you have any sources of G&U information you can share?  I saw the CSX engines and I was wondering why they were in the yard.  Thanks.

John

carsntrains posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

carsntrains posted:

A little Southern switching! 

When I recently bought the Lionel D&H RS-11 shown above, the vendor had the exact same diesel in Southern livery. I was torn because I liked them both a lot. Being from NY I tend to gravitate towards the Northeastern fallen flag railroads.

Arnold didn't the Southern Railroad service as far north as New York, Detroit, and Chicago?  

Jim 

Jim, you are correct about The Southern and NY. I just Googled and found out that the Southern Crescent went from Penn Station in NYC to Charlotte, NC.

This little guy, the Lionel postwar 6220, is a classic switcher:

Do you think he is a good puller? 

Can he pull all of these extruded steel heavyweight post war passenger cars surrounding Yankee Stadium?

Of course he can! See him pull these heavy weight passenger cars accompanied by about 1 minute of the Finale of Mozart’s Symphony # 40:

After all, this great postwar classic deserves nothing less than perhaps the greatest piece of classical music in the history of mankind!

Arnold

Johan impressive railroading in Shark Bay as usual.

Brian you truly are unending source of photos.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday to all. This week Shark Bay R.R. was a really busy. D&H Alco RS11 #5002 switching at Cape Shark like a MEC Alco S2 #301 also.

WP SW9 #606 working at Port of Shark Bay area.

 

So hard to tell if these trains, structures, and people are real or models. Remarkable. 

Only give away is the 3rd rail down the middle. 

 

 

Arnold: Thanks. If i build the new layout some day, i am gonna use still a 3rd rail track but this time MTH Scale Track.

Johan

YES there is a person in the car going over the tracks!!!   AWESOME~!  

Jim 

PHOTOS FROM KISKI JUNCTION RAILROAD IN SCHENLEY, PA  ....... NOW OUT OF BUSINESS.

Steam Crazy posted:

CNJ#1601, it's nice to find another G&U fan on the Forum!  I grew up with the G&U.  I could see G&U trains across the field from my parent's house on Snow Rd.  If I got lucky, I'd see a train on my way home from school in No Grafton Center.  I still drive by the yard occasionally to see what's going on.

Do you model the G&U?  If yes, I'd be interested in seeing what you have done.  Do you have any sources of G&U information you can share?  I saw the CSX engines and I was wondering why they were in the yard.  Thanks.

John

Hi John:

I don’t model the G&U (at least not yet!), but I do enjoy photographing it when I have the time.  Like you, I make it a point to do periodic “drive-by’s” along the line in my travels for work...so I guess you can say I am the source of my own information!  I also get some info from the internet (including G&U’s own website) and periodic news blurbs in Railpace Magazine.

Nothing new of my own this week, so here’s a camelback for the collection.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Arnold,

That is a terrific "Yankee Stadium."

MELGAR

coach joe posted:

Johan impressive railroading in Shark Bay as usual.

Brian you truly are unending source of photos.

COACH JOE: Thanks again.

Johan

carsntrains posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday to all. This week Shark Bay R.R. was a really busy. D&H Alco RS11 #5002 switching at Cape Shark like a MEC Alco S2 #301 also.

WP SW9 #606 working at Port of Shark Bay area.

 

So hard to tell if these trains, structures, and people are real or models. Remarkable. 

Only give away is the 3rd rail down the middle. 

 

 

Arnold: Thanks. If i build the new layout some day, i am gonna use still a 3rd rail track but this time MTH Scale Track.

Johan

YES there is a person in the car going over the tracks!!!   AWESOME~!  

Jim 

Jim: Thanks.

Johan

Arnold- nice video of 6220. The music does seem to go well with the running trains.

Bob